Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus, Linneaus 1758; Rodentia, Caviidae) were the only small mammals domesticated in the Americas. The other New Word animal domesticates were turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), llamas (Lama glama), alpacas (Lama pacos), and Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata).
Guinea pigs are small Andean rodents that still function as a delicacy food (Fig. 1), as an instrument to diagnose disease, and as key component in sacrificial offerings in traditional communities. In indigenous Quechua they are referred as jaca or saca, and in Ayamara the word is wanku. However, most people in the central Andes call them cuis domestico. Other known terms in South America are cuis domestico, cobayo and conejillo de Indias.
Fried guinea pig dish as served in a restaurant in Ayacucho, Peru
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References
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Further Reading
Archetti, Eduardo. 1997. Guinea pigs. In Food, symbol and conflict on the knowledge in Ecuador. Oxford: Berg.
Morales, Edmundo. 1995. The Guinea pig. Healing, food, and ritual in the Andes. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press.
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Rosenfeld, S. (2018). Guinea Pig: Domestication. In: Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51726-1_2209-2
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